Quaker Lane + Congress Square | Downtown

Walked by today for the first time in about two weeks and the level of visible work seems to have ramped up quite a bit. I'm guessing the interior prep is done (or close). Water Street was closed this AM and there was a crane and a mockup there. Also, the lot on Devonshire was all torn up and the sidewalk is closed. I say it every time, but I'm so excited for this.
 
^^^ That's great news! I have been looking forward to this one as well. Do we know if we will see the additional 7 floors on the old building first, the new 14 story building first, or if they will both be constructed at the same time?
 
DZH22 said:
^^^ That's great news! I have been looking forward to this one as well. Do we know if we will see the additional 7 floors on the old building first, the new 14 story building first, or if they will both be constructed at the same time?
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The excavation on the portion of the site that will contain the 14-story building has ramped up in the past couple of weeks, so it looks like both of these will be going simultaneously.
 
Tower crane was completely erected when I walked by. Hydro crane will come down tonight.

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From a retail/citylife/street activation standpoint, how this actually turns out will depend a lot on which establishments they plant along the first floors... give the total absence of residences around here, this would be an ideal place to create a fun and interesting after hours zone with speakeasy establishments, quality late night street food and coffee shops... But enough fantasizing... regardless, this will need a very solid mix of businesses. If they do it right, it could be one of the most exciting new developments anywhere in the downtown area.
 
give the total absence of residences around here, this would be an ideal place to create a fun and interesting after hours zone with speakeasy establishments, quality late night street food and coffee shops...

Totally agree with this sentiment. Any suggestions of cities/locations that do this exceedingly well?
 
JANAM said:
give the total absence of residences around here, this would be an ideal place to create a fun and interesting after hours zone with speakeasy establishments, quality late night street food and coffee shops...

Totally agree with this sentiment. Any suggestions of cities/locations that do this exceedingly well?
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Thirded. We beat it to death earlier in the thread, but I'm thinking something resembling Stone Street in New York or Belden Place in SF. It's the perfect opportunity for it and the renderings make me very hopeful. It's a cozy enough space to throw some heat lamps out there and keep it active year round. Yes, Boston is cold. But Montreal, Quebec City, and all of Scandinavia seem to be able to keep outdoor spaces active for eating/drinking year-round. We can too.

On another note, the structure slated for the small vacant lot on Devonshire will be a welcome addition, but the rendering (second image from the top in bigpicture7's latests post) is messing with me. The Devonshire facade looks to taper back away from the street if you look at the right edge (abutting the existing structure). However the left edge seems to be perfectly vertical. Is anyone else seeing this?
 
JANAM said:
give the total absence of residences around here, this would be an ideal place to create a fun and interesting after hours zone with speakeasy establishments, quality late night street food and coffee shops...
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Total absence of residences???? Devonshire Place is across the street. It is a high rise apartment building!!!
 
Sorry for the potato quality, but there is a new crane in town!

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Folks, what's the architectural term for that dentate copper lining of the top of the building there?
 
FK4 said:
Folks, what's the architectural term for that dentate copper lining of the top of the building there?
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Wouldn't that be a cornice? Perhaps described as a crenelated copper cornice.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Wouldn't that be a cornice? Perhaps described as a crenelated copper cornice.
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I don't disagree, but I've heard the distinction used for specifically when it extends above the roofline. Like, for example, a gabled roof could have a cornice...but not a parapet. But a flat roof could have either/both. I'm not an architect, but I'd actually state that this building has both...the part that juts out horizontally below the roofline...and the cooper part that sticks up above the roofline. I'd say this has a masonry cornice capped with a copper parapet.

If it looks like one of those things on a castle where the guards would hide behind with their bows and arrows, it's a parapet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parapet
 
Are the new floors ready to be added to the top right away, or does more work need to be done with the old building(s)?
 
DZH22 said:
Are the new floors ready to be added to the top right away, or does more work need to be done with the old building(s)?
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When I walked by Sunday the building on Congress that Quaker wraps around was completely gutted on the inside. As in you could see straight through to the other side of the building because the interior, including the floors had been completely torn out. It looked very much like a facadectomy sort of construction. So I think they are going to have to build up the foundation for the upper floors while the rebuild the lower floors, and then build it up from there.
 
There is an overwhelming smell and almost air conditioning like air when you walk by this thing...anyone know what that could be? Smells almost like mold.
 
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